A FEMA worker takes in the HSO Go pop-up performance at Cashman Center.
On March 18th, 2021 Sarah O'Connell received an email from the Cashman vaccination clinic PIO, Jon Klassen who was looking for ways to improve the experience of Nevadans waiting in the "post jab" observation area. "I just saw people all day long stuck sitting there, staring at their phones," he said. He thought that there had to be something he could do to make it better, but what? Enter the Henderson Symphony Orchestra (HSO) and colleagues from the Producers Alliance of Southern Nevada.
COVID devastated our local Creative Economy and this was an opportunity to prove that if we work with local arts and creative experts, we can come together and invent solutions swiftly.
U.S. Rep. Susie Lee and U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez-Masto and Jacky Rosen visit.
O'Connell and Klassen agreed that the life-giving performances and the talents who would offer them deserved an investment. It was, after all, a win for the creative workers, the public, and the historic effort to vaccinate Nevadans. Serendipitously, a member of Klassen's team, Mark LePino, won a contest and donated his prize to the HSO to compensate performers. The HSO Music Director, Alexandra Arrieche, and Operations Director, Julie Williams, put out the call to members of the ensemble. On March 30th, 2021 a duo of performers played violins and a viola for the Cashman Center crowd.
The positive response encouraged Klassen and O'Connell to seek more funds to keep it going and expand the opportunity to local artists and their companies from across the valley. Their proposal to the Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force, led by Chairman Jim Murren, for a "Create Our Recovery Concert Series" was accepted. The Asylum Theatre, a 501 (c) 3 member of PALSNV, agreed to manage the program. Artists will perform on Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm and on Tuesday mornings from 8 am to 10 am through the end of May 2021.
Check out the calendar here. See the Artist profiles here.
This is one way to #CreateOurRecovery. Ask the Arts in your area or PALSNV to find more and get in on the act!
Some Musicians Union of Las Vegas, Local 369 AFM members are also partners with PALSNV on this project.
Local artists can email createourrecovery@gmail.com to submit a resume, references, and work sample links to Sarah O'Connell for consideration to be included in the program.